Enemies? Or?
by BeLLe-DraCo-HaRrY
Summary: This is abt Hermione and Draco...Chosen to be the head boy and head girl, they have to share a dorm...both thinks it will be a nightmare, but is it as bad as in seems? Read & review...Thanks. [it's my first fanfic.]
1. ChaNgEs

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in my story. but I do own the plot.  
  
Chapter One. [Changes]  
  
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione yelled from across the railway station. She hauled her heavy bags across the station, hurrying to her best friends. They two boys rushed forward to help her.  
  
"At last. Thanks guys. Whoa, you two look great!" Hermione stood back, admiring her best friends. Harry and Ron had grown taller, and their shoulders had broadened. Most of Ron's freckles were gone, and Harry had gotten rid of his specs, using contact lenses instead. His hair was still messy, but it wasn't as bad as before.  
  
"You look great, too Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. Ron grinned. "Unless all the boys at Hogwarts are blind, you'll find yourself a suitor soon." Harry went on. He was interrupted by a loud sound.  
  
"Hurry, guys, we have to get on the train. It's leaving." Hermione ordered in her usual prefect way. They quickly dragged their things onto the train. They walked from compartment to compartment. Finally they stopped at one and dropped their stuff to the floor.  
  
"Hi, Ginny! How are you?" Hermione squealed at the sight of Ron's little sister, Harry's girlfriend, and her close friend. Ginny was sitting in the compartment, reading a book.  
  
"Hermione! I'm doing great! How about you?" She asked. Hermione nodded, smiling and looking at Ginny from up to down.  
  
"You've grown, Gin." She enviously said. Ginny smiled modestly. She has wearing a black halter top and a short denim skirt. It showed off her long legs. She was wearing black boots that reached up to her ankle. Her red hair, which she kept to the waist, was carefully combed.  
  
"And she's all mine." Harry laughed, slipping his arm around Ginny's waist. Ron frowned. Hermione patted his arm and giggled. Even though Harry had been with Ginny since the year before, Ron still hadn't gotten used to his best friend and his sister being together.  
  
"Well, well, what do we have here?" All four swiveled to the door of the compartment. Draco Malfoy stood there. Hermione had to swallow a gasp.  
  
"Oh my god. He looks-. What am I thinking? It's Malfoy." Hermione thought.  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry snarled, getting his wand ready. His grip on Ginny tightened.  
  
"My, my, Granger. What happened over the summer?" Draco said, ignoring Harry.  
  
"She looks.great. Damned, if she wasn't a mudblood." He said silently in his mind.  
  
"What do you mean, Malfoy?" Hermione shot back, flushing. She stared down at herself. She was wearing a rust-coloured turtleneck and a black mini- skirt. She had toned down her hair, and now it flowed down her back in smooth curls. She had been in Hawaii over the summer with her parents and had acquired a nice tan.  
  
"Forget it. Hurry up, Granger. Mcgonagall wants to see us in her compartment now." He said, still unable to tear his eyes off from Hermione. Hermione stood up, waving to her friends. She followed Draco out of the compartment.  
  
"Hello, Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy. Please have a seat." Professor Mcgonagall gestured to the two chairs in front of her desk. The compartment was big, and decorated to look like her office in Hogwarts. Hermione and Draco sat down, eyeing each other warily.  
  
"Well, you two are chosen by Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and myself to be the Head Boy and Head Girl this year. I'm assuming both of you will accept this responsibility?" Professor Mcgonagall asked. Both Draco and Hermione stiffly nodded, distinctly uncomfortable in their seats.  
  
"Good. I give you the responsibility to plan all the balls, the parties, Hogsmeade weekends and so on. There'll be a new system this year, in which the head boy and head girl has to share a dorm, so it's easier to meet."  
  
"What?!" Hermione stood up in shock. Draco looked just as horrified.  
  
"Sit down, Ms. Granger." The professor ordered. Hermione flopped down on the chair. "I hope you two will try your very best to get along. Meet me at my office when you arrive at Hogwarts. That's about it. You may go now. Thank you." Professor Mcgonagall dismissed the two. They slumped out of the office and after shooting dirty looks at each other, they returned to their separate cabins.  
  
"Argh!" Hermione cried out when she arrived in the comfort of her friends. Their heads shot up worriedly.  
  
"What's wrong, Herm?" Ginny asked softly. Hermione shook her head.  
  
"Guess what? I'm the new head girl. And- " Ron cut her off.  
  
"That's great! Who's the head boy?" He asked.  
  
"That would be me." They heard Draco's voice from beyond the door. The door opened and they came face to face with him. He smirked the Malfoy smirk.  
  
"Dream on, Malfoy. Get lost." Harry lifted his wand. Hermione shot a warning look at Harry.  
  
"No, guys. It's true. Malfoy's the head boy." She spat out. Malfoy smirked and waved sarcastically.  
  
"See you losers later. Remember to be at Mcgonagall's office before the feast, Granger." He shut back the door and stalked off.  
  
"Ignore him. Besides, that's not the worst thing. I have to share with him a dorm for the rest of the year! Dumbledore just added this system this year. Can you believe it?" Hermione groaned, burying her head in her hands. Her best friends shook their heads in silent horror.  
  
The train's horn sounded and they quickly grabbed their stuff. They headed to the nearest exit and alighted. They rushed to an empty carriage and settled in. Neither of them said anything, knowing Hermione's nature.  
  
When they arrived at the castle, Hermione left her friends and headed up the stairs to Professor Mcgonagall's office. The door was closed, so she knocked. But nobody opened the door. So she leaned on the wall beside the door and waited.  
  
~ Draco's Point Of View. (POV) ~  
  
As soon as he reached the castle, he abandoned his two sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle. He hurried up the stairs to Professor Mcgonagall's office. He halted when he saw Hermione leaning against the wall, waiting.  
  
"She's really beautiful. She's simply breathtaking." He murmured, staring at her. Her long, tanned legs, and her slender body that showed clearly through the tight-fitting turtleneck. Her flowing brown hair, her flushed cheeks.  
  
"Ehem." Draco spun around. Professor Mcgonagall was behind him, smiling amusedly. Draco reddened and quickly walked to the office with the professor behind him.  
  
"Sorry, Ms. Granger. I was held up for a moment in the Great Hall. Now, let me bring you both to your new dormitory." The professor led the way and stopped in front of a portrait of a knight on a horse. At the sight of Hermione, the knight whistled and raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Shut up, John, or we'll place you somewhere else. Orange Pop," The professor muttered and the portrait swung open, mumbling incoherently.  
  
The two students peered in curiously. The room was large with two separate staircases that led to doors at the top. The staircase on the right had red and gold carpeting and the door it led to had a picture of a lion in front. The other staircase was the same, except that it was green and silver, with a picture of a serpent on the door.  
  
There were two couches in front of the fireplace, one red with gold throw pillows, and another green with silver pillows. There was an old oak coffee table in the middle.  
  
Hermione stepped into the common room. There were two portraits at the bottom of the staircases.  
  
"Those portraits lead to the Gryffindor common room, and the Slytherin one." The professor explained, pointing to the portraits. The two students nodded.  
  
[Authors Note: Well, hey. Thanks for reading my storie.reviews.dun b so hard on me.. my first fan fic..-peace-] 


	2. wHaT iN ThE wOrLd iS HaPpEniNg?

[Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters here.I onli own the plot..]  
  
~ Hermione's Point Of View. ~  
  
The professor waved to them and left. Draco looked at Hermione and she looked back. They stood in silence for awhile, staring into each other's eyes. Hermione broke the silence, obviously uncomfortable.  
  
"I'm going to go check out my room." She muttered and turned towards the red and gold carpeted stairs. She hurried up and opened the door. She stepped in and locked the door behind her.  
  
"What just happened down there?" She mumbled to herself. She shook her head and looked around. The room was spacious. All her stuff was already in their right places. "House elves." She said knowingly. The bed was big, with Gryffindor bedspread. The windows were framed with red curtains and there was a black carpet on the floor. The walls were painted off-white. Facing the bed was a door. Striding across the room, Hermione opened it. It led to a large bathroom.  
  
She quickly undressed and took a short bath. After that, she put on her uniform and put on her robes. Making sure the room was in order, she quickly left her room and flew down the stairs. She met with Draco, who also looked fresh. They left the dorm together in silence. Just when they were about to reach the Great Hall, Draco stopped Hermione.  
  
"Hey, Granger, since we have to live together and work together and all, maybe we should call a truce, don't you think?" He said, his hand on Hermione's hand. Hermione flushed staring at his hand. But Draco didn't move it.  
  
"Yeah. Sure. Truce. And Mal-Draco, call me Hermione. Not Mud.- Mudblood, not Granger, but Hermione. I'll call you Draco. Do we have a deal?" Hermione said, looking up at Draco. He agreed and removed his grip. They went separate ways to their respective house tables. The sorting was long over & the feast was already in full swing.  
  
"Hey guys." She greeted Harry, Ginny, Ron and Ron's girlfriend, Lavender. They smiled at her and motioned for her to sit down.  
  
"How was it? With Malfoy?" Ron asked, snickering. Hermione flinched, even though she didn't why.  
  
"It's Draco, Ron. Not Malfoy." She muttered, digging into her roast chicken that magically appeared on her plate. Ron leaned forward.  
  
"What was that, Hermy?" He frowned, leaning forward and ignoring Lavender's tightening grip on his arm and Harry's warning look. Only Ginny said it out loud.  
  
"Drop it, Ron." She hit her brother on his free arm. He shrugged and continued eating.  
  
~ Draco's Point Of View ~  
  
Draco absently picked on his food. He couldn't help but stare at the Gryffindor table, where Hermione sat. She was eating, and obviously ignoring her friends around her. Draco watched her, fascinated.  
  
"Hie my little Drackie Poo-Poo! Eating so little? Eat more, Drackie Poo- Poo." He suddenly heard a nasal voice cooing next to him. "Ugh. Pansy." He groaned. Putting on a sneer, he turned to the girl next to him. Looking at her think made-up face made him want to puke.  
  
"Get lost, Parkinson." He snarled, shaking her arm off from his shoulder. Luckily, the headmaster cleared his throat, signaling he was about to speak. There were a few hushing sounds and soon the entire Great Hall was silent.  
  
"Now that all of you are full, -at least I hope so- " He paused, grinning, "- I'm going to announce this year's Head Boy and Head Girl. Ms. Hermione Granger from Gryffindor and Mr. Draco Malfoy from Slytherin!" There were a few gasps around the room because everyone knew how Draco hated Muggle- borns. Someone started clapping, and soon, everyone in the hall was applauding.  
  
"Can you come up here, Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore requested. Draco pushed back his chair and began walking towards the long table where all the staff sat. He saw Hermione doing the same. When he arrived there, he quickly walked up to the headmaster, but Hermione stopped for awhile to talk to Hagrid. From a distance, he saw Hagrid beaming proudly. He watched as she dropped a kiss on his cheek and went on to Dumbledore. The professor formally shook both their hands.  
  
"These two have the right to deduct points from your houses, and I can assure you both of them will be fair about it. They have an enormous amount of responsibility on themselves, having have to plan most of the things that happen in Hogwarts, such as parties or, dances. Respect their authority, and I hope their respective houses will try to get along. Ok, you're all dismissed." He ended his little speech with a smile.  
  
"Both of you better get back to your dorm." He grinned and left the hall. They looked at each other and hurried to their dorm.  
  
[Author's note: Is it boring? I dunno. seriously.reviews.& read on to find out juz WHAT dumbledore has for his new head students.] 


	3. PoTioNs ClaSs

[Author's note: I know I took me a long time to put up my third chapter, but I was overseas for a couple of days. Sorry, guys. But please enjoy my 3rd chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here.]  
  
When the duo arrived at their dorm, they were met with a surprise. On the table between the two couches there were chocolates, sweets, soda and two tubs of ice cream. There was also a note.  
  
"Ms. Granger & Mr. Malfoy, I, Professor Dumbledore is very happy that both of you have accepted the once in a lifetime offer to be Head Boy & Head Girl in Hogwarts. To reward you two, I have conjured up chocolates, sweets, ice cream, and soda. You two must me hungry, having ate very little during the Feast as you came in late. Enjoy your snacks. And one more thing, don't stay up too late, classes starts tomorrow morning. Ciao!" The note was written in Dumbledore's distinct handwriting.  
  
Draco and Hermione looked at each other and rushed forward. They fell into their respective sofas and started munching on the chocolate bars. They talked all night, until the junk food on the table slowly started to dwindle. They talked about school, about life, about their families and also Hermione urged Draco not to be so mean to her best friends.  
  
Draco was still captivated by Hermione's beauty, both inner and outer. He fell under her charm and agreed to not insult Ron and Harry anymore. They fell asleep on the couches, Hermione first, then Draco.  
  
Both dreamt about each other that night, and Hermione thinking, "He's not only handsome, and charming, but also friendly and amusing. He's not what everyone thinks he is."  
  
~ Hermione's Point Of View. ~  
  
"Draco! Wake up! We're going to be late for Potions!" Hermione yelled, shaking Draco. She just awoke, and Breakfast was almost half over. Draco was still sprawled across the couch, sleeping soundly. Hermione shook him harder.  
  
"What? Is there a fire?!" He awoke, mumbling sleepily. When he saw Hermione's face he sat up. "What?"  
  
"We're going to be late. Hurry up, get ready. Snape's going to kill us if we're late." With a flick of her wand, the couch quickly tidied itself up. She hurried up the stairs. So did Draco. 10 minutes later, they were leaving the dorm, hurrying towards the dungeon where the potions class took place.  
  
"Good of you to join us, Mr. Malfoy. And, Ms. Granger. Hurry up and take a seat at wherever is available." Snape instructed, a smirk on his face. Hermione glanced around the room. The only places available were right at the back. Without a moment's hesitation, she hurried to the back, exchanging a glance with Harry and Ron, smiling briefly. Draco quickly followed suit.  
  
"Okay, today we'll be working on a potion that is quite difficult, I can assure you. If you drink it up, you'll be able to levitate yourself without a wand, since all the ingredients are from flying creatures. You'll be working with whoever you are seated with now. And, I don't want anyone to trade places behind my back. I'll know. You'll need a feather from a unicorn's wing, a quarter of a cup of a phoenix's blood, a thin slice of meat from a falcon and hair from a bat. Plus two cups of water. And, to make this difficult, you have to think of a spell that I taught you last year. Once you're done, you may show it to me, and if it's correct, you may leave. Understood?" He finished, glaring around the room. His students nodded.  
  
Pair by pair, students began to come out to get the items that were assembled neatly on the teacher's table. As Harry walked back to his seat, he purposely walked by Hermione's table.  
  
"Best of luck, Herm." He shot a sympathetic look to her and a glare to Draco as if to emphasize on his point. She smiled and shrugged. Then she got up to get the items. When she arrived back to her seat, Draco had already heat up the cauldron. He gave her a grin that she felt all the way to her toes.  
  
Together, head to head, they read the instructions written in their Potions textbooks. After putting in all the ingredients into the cauldron, including the water, and allowing to boil slowly, they sat down to think of a spell that would conclude the day's work. Suddenly Hermione stood up.  
  
"I know the perfect spell, Draco!" She cried out excitedly. "Querilious wingify!" She continued without stopping, pointing her wand to the mixture in the cauldron. Draco leaped up from his chair. Side by side, they watched the change in the mixture. It started to bubble rapidly and instead of the dark blue it was before; it slowly began to change into a silvery orange mixture. Hermione turned off the heat.  
  
"This is it, Draco! We did it! I'm sure it's correct!" Hermione whispered happily.  
  
"Yup, you were a genius, Hermione. I wouldn't have thought of that." He replied, squeezing her hand. He grabbed a small bottle a poured a little bit of the mixture into the bottle. Together, they walked to the front of the class to show their professor.  
  
"Professor Snape? I think we did it." Draco called out to Snape, who was busy attending to Seamus, who accidentally dropped his pen into the cauldron. Snape turned and walked briskly to Hermione and Draco. Draco handed the bottle to Snape.  
  
"Impressive. You both may leave." Snape nodded to the two with a dismissive wave. They went back to their table to pack up their stuff. They walked past Harry's table, where Ron was frantically flipping through the pages of his potions textbook.  
  
"Hey, Harry, Ron. Ron, you can't find the answer in there. It depends on your memory, and whether you paid attention last year." Hermione leaned in to whisper. She tossed them her potions notebook. "You guys may need this. Give it back to me during Lunch." With that, she and Draco hurried out.  
  
[Author's note: Sorie.this chappie is pretty short huh? Review ppplllzz.] 


	4. ThE NeW pRoFeSsOr

[Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here, only the plot.]  
  
~ Harry's Point Of View ~  
  
Harry watched as his best friend, Hermione hurried out with Malfoy. The two sworn enemies. Together.  
  
"What in the world is going on? Usually she would wait for us instead of hurrying off with Malfoy." Harry thought, scratching his head. He knew something was different when he first saw Hermione in her outfit at the railway station. She had changed, matured. Also her reaction on seeing Malfoy on the train. It was clinched when he heard her correct Ron on Malfoy's name. "Is Hermione falling for Malfoy?" He wondered.  
  
"Mr. Potter! Day-dreaming I see. Get to work at once! 20 points from Gryffindor." Snape barked, causing Harry to snap out of his thoughts. Ron turned around to Snape and narrowed his eyes. Lucky for Ron, Snape had already turned away.  
  
"Were you day-dreaming, Harry? About who? My sister?" Ron whispered over the table. Harry grinned sheepishly and nodded his head.  
  
"I must be over-reacting about Hermione and Draco." He assured himself. He leaned over to Ron, who was flipping through the pages of Hermione's notebook trying to find the answer but to no avail. Harry scooted his chair over and started to help.  
  
"The spell needed was Querilious Wingify. Those who did not manage to complete today's task will have 5 points deducted from the monthly test. Class dismissed." Snape's voice boomed from the front of the class. He ignored all the dirty looks his students shot him.  
  
~ Hermione's Point Of View. ~  
  
Hermione was seated on the couch of her dorm, reading History of Hogwarts: Volume Three. Draco was seated opposite her, munching on Lemon Frizzies.  
  
"Aren't you hungry, Hermione? You didn't eat any breakfast, and neither did I. And I'm pratically starving over here." Draco voiced, looking at Hermione. Hermione looked up from her book. She shook her head.  
  
"C'mon Draco. Lunch is only an hour and a half away. Anyway, we gotta get going to Defence against the Dark Arts. It starts in ten. Let's go." She stuffed the book into her book-bag and got up. Draco followed suit, standing up and brushing off the crumbs from his robe.  
  
When they arrived at the Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Hermione waved to Draco and quickly hurried to sit with Harry and Ron.  
  
~ Draco's Point Of View. ~  
  
Draco winced inwardly as Hermione waved him off. "Should have guessed she would sit with her best buddies." He thought sarcastically. He turned around and walked to his sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle. He slumped into his seat.  
  
"Good morning." A young man walked into the class. "My name is Jake Watson. I'm your new Defence against the Dark arts teacher." He said with a slight American accent. Jake Watson had short black hair and captivating green eyes. He was tall and muscular.  
  
There were several screeching sounds as the students pushed back their chairs to stand up and greet this handsome stranger in front of them.  
  
"You may call me Jake, Professor Jake or Professor Watson. Up to you guys." He announced. Then he clapped his hands twice.  
  
"Keep all your books back into your bags. We won't be needing them today. In battles, your opponent will always be trying to get your wand, as it is the thing you need to defend yourself and to attack your opponent. So, I'll be teaching you how to get your opponent's wand but at the same time, protect your wand from your opponent." Professor Jake said. Draco raised his eyebrows.  
  
"This is going to be fun." He smiled, imagining himself disarming Potter.  
  
"Get yourselves a partner, everyone." Jake commanded. As usual, Crabbe and Goyle chose each other, and twisting around in his seat, Draco could see that Ron and Harry were partners. He got up and quickly hurried to Hermione.  
  
"Hey, can I be your partner? I mean, Crabbe and Goyle are not challenging enough. So.can I work with you instead?" He asked Hermione. At first Hermione seemed startled, then her face broke into a smile and she nodded.  
  
When everyone in the class had partners, Professor Jake surveyed the class. He pointed to Harry.  
  
"You. Harry Potter isn't it? C'mon out. Bring your partner. You'll be the first pair to try it out." Professor Jake instructed. Harry hesitantly stood up, pulling Ron along with him. They stood facing each other at the front of the room.  
  
"Okay, point your wands at each other. Harry, to get your partner's wand out of his hand, you say, 'Fetchious'. Make sure your wand is pointing to your opponent's wand, if not it will not work. It'll be a pretty hard task. And, you- "-pointing to Ron-" will try to keep your wand with you. You don't exactly have to say anything, just make sure your grip on the wand is tight. Ok?" Professor Jake explained. Harry nodded, but Ron looked apprehensive. Harry pointed his wand to Ron, and vice-versa.  
  
"Fetchious." Harry muttered. Ron's wand wavered a little, but it stayed in Ron's hands. "Fetchious." Harry murmured a little bit more loudly. This time, Ron's wand flew out of his grip and into Harry's. There was a scattering of applause from the Gryffindors in the class.  
  
"Well done, Harry." Professor Jake nodded to the pair. Blushing, Harry returned to his seat. Then he pointed to Hermione. "You look like an intelligent young lady. Your turn." Hermione got up and confidently walked to the front. Draco did the same. "What's your name?" The professor asked Hermione.  
  
"Hermione Granger." She replied. "And this is my friend, Draco Malfoy." The professor nodded.  
  
"Okay, Hermione. You'll do the same as what Harry did." He directed. Hermione nodded and smiled at Draco. Draco grinned back.  
  
"Fetchious." She said softly. The wand didn't move. "Fetchious." She repeated. The wand shook a little. She frowned. "Fetchious!" She said loudly. Finally, it went out from Draco's grasp. She smiled victoriously.  
  
"Great!" The professor cried. Using the student name list, he called out a few people. They repeated what Hermione and Harry did. After a few other pairs, he dismissed the class to go for lunch.  
  
"See you after Lunch, Draco. We have to meet Professor Mcgonagall, remember? Bye." Hermione walked off to the Great Hall.  
  
[Author's Note: This chapter pretty boring huh? I don't like it that much. Please review, and don't be so hard on me, this IS my first fan fic. Thanks.] 


	5. OnE WoRd: JaKe

[Author's note: Hey, sorie for my mistake in the last chapter. I said I didn't own any of the characters. Well, I own Jake Watson. The new professor. Ok? In this chapter I own Andrew Watson. Yeah. Enjoy this chapter.]  
  
"Jake Watson is really cute isn't he? His eyes are so.captivating. He's charming too. Too bad you got old Professor Brown for Defence against the Dark Arts." Lavender whispered loudly to Ginny during lunch. Both their boyfriends turned to them alertly.  
  
"Lavender, don't you go telling my girl who's cute and who's not around here. She's got me, and ONLY me." Harry laughed. Ginny poked him in the ribs. Ron nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yeah, Lavender. He's much too old for you, girl. I'm not." Ron broke into laughter. Ever since he became an item with Lavender, he became less shy and more out-going. Lavender giggled. Hermione shook her head.  
  
"He is an extremely good-looking young man. But much too old for us girls. Anyway, I'm going to the library. I desperately need to check out this book, Potions Master. I heard it's really good. See you guys later. I'll be late for class, I have a meeting with Professor Mcgonagall." Hermione stood up from the table.  
  
When she stepped out of the hall, she came face to face with.Draco. She wondered what he was doing, hanging out outside the Great Hall. He smiled at her.  
  
"Hey, Hermione. Heading up to the library?" He asked conversationally. Hermione tried to find a streak of sarcasm. But surprisingly, she didn't find any.  
  
"Yup. There's a book I just have to have. You.want to come along?" She added as an afterthought. He nodded.  
  
"Have you eaten?" She inquired while they walked up the stairs. He bobbed his head.  
  
"Yeah. I ate a little just now, then I went back to the dorm to put back some books. It was getting pretty irritating, lugging them around." Draco replied, staring pointedly at the stack of books in Hermione's hand. She laughed lightly.  
  
"I'll be returning these to the library. I borrowed them before the summer, so I could read during the holidays." She explained. They arrived at the library.  
  
The librarian barely gave a glance to Hermione entering, but when she saw Draco, she blinked again. Hermione dumped the load of books on into the returning slot and hurried to the back of the room. Draco followed her, looking around.  
  
He's not been in the library for a long time and he had practically forgotten how it looked like. Hermione peered on the shelves and then sighed dejectedly.  
  
"It's not here." She moaned. Then she shrugged. "I can get it in Hogsmeade at the next Hogsmeade weekend. Oh yeah, speaking of that, when are we going to start planning out the calendar of this year's events, Draco?" She asked him.  
  
Draco said, "We can start anytime soon. Or maybe when we have settled down a bit you know. Maybe next week. Okay?" Draco suggested. Hermione agreed.  
  
"Let's get out of here. Almost all the books here I've either already read, or have it at home." She giggled softly. Draco loved the way she smiled, laughed, even the way she talked. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind.  
  
"Dad will kill me if he finds out how I feel about this beautiful Mud- Muggle-born." Draco couldn't bear calling Hermione mudblood, even if it was behind her back. The two walked to Professor Mcgonagall's office. They were a couple of minutes early so they waited outside.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger. How nice to see you again." Professor Jake greeted them. Hermione stood up straighter.  
  
"Why, hello, Professor. Not having Lunch?" She asked, smiling, nudging Draco. Draco forced a smile onto his face and nodded to the professor. The young professor beamed.  
  
"No, I'm pretty full from what I had for breakfast. The food here is outstanding. And what are both of you doing here? I don't think you're being punished, or are you?" He inquired, peering at the odd pair standing in front of him.  
  
"No, not at all. We're waiting for Professor Mcgonagall to show. We have a meeting with her." Draco finally voiced out. The professor nodded.  
  
"Well, I better be going now. See you guys tomorrow during class. Bye!" The handsome professor was off, whistling.  
  
"Good to see you're both early. Come on in." Professor Mcgonagall stood in front of the door to her office waving the two in. Once they were inside, the professor offered them orange pops. Draco accepted one, but Hermione refused, muttering something about bad cavities.  
  
"Well, I see you two have been getting along extremely well. As I hear from Professor Snape & Jake, you've been partners for both Defence against Dark Arts AND Potions. I'm happy to hear that. Anyway, I think you two can start planning the calendar for this year in a couple of days. Today is much too early." The professor looked at the Head Boy and Head Girl for agreement. Both of them bobbed their heads.  
  
"Is there anything you have to ask me regarding your duties?" Professor Mcgonagall added.  
  
"Yes. Besides planning all these events, making sure everyone's following the rules, breaking up fights if it's necessary, what else must we do?" Hermione leaned forward in her seat. The professor thought for a moment.  
  
"Oh, yes. You have to attend all the balls, parties and formal events together. And seeing how well you are behaving, I assume both of you are in agreement." The professor finished with a slight smile.  
  
"Oh, and one more thing. About Professor Jake, it will come across as peculiar to see such a young man teaching you all. Well, actually, he's an Auror, not quite well known, and his father, Andrew Watson, is in the ministry. You might have heard of him. I trust both of you not to let the cat out of the bag about this. He doesn't want anyone to know about him being an Auror and all. And he's here because- " The professor broke off.  
  
"Because what, Professor?" Draco asked curiously. The professor shook her head.  
  
"Nothing, nothing at all, Mr. Malfoy. I think you two better go now. Your class is almost half-over. Give these to Hagrid. These are the notes from me telling Hagrid you were with me, and that's why you're late. " Professor Mcgonagall stood up and shooed her two head students out of her office, shoving notes into their hands. Once they were outside, they started talking about what they thought their professor was about to say when she suddenly caught herself.  
  
"What is it she wanted to say?" Hermione wondered as they walked leisurely to the edge of the forest, where their Care for Magical Creatures class was held. Draco shrugged, deep in thought. They arrived at the class and passed Hagrid their notes. Draco walked to Crabbe and Goyle, and stood next to them, deep in thought.  
  
[Author's Note: Okay, I'm quite disappointed with this chapter, but I hope you guys don't feel the same way. I know all of you are very extremely curious to know what Professor Mcgonagall was about to say, but I'm not going to tell you now. You'll know later on in the story. Reviews, please! Au revoir!] 


	6. tWo WoRdS: JaKe WaTsOn

[Author's Note: Hey.Sorry took so long to finish up this chapter.but I've been reali busy this few days.Yep.So read on & review!!]  
  
As Hermione lay in bed wide awake that night, she couldn't help but think about what Professor Mcgonagall was about to say.  
  
"Professor Jake Watson. He's here for a reason. And it's not to teach us." Hermione mused.  
  
"Oh my god! He's an Auror! His dad is in the Ministry! The only reason why they sent an Auror here is to protect us, especially Harry! Voldermort's back!" She cried out as she sat rigid on the bed. She quickly threw on a bathrobe over her pajamas and hurried to Draco's room.  
  
"Draco? Open up. It's me, Hermione." She said urgently as she knocked on the door rapidly.  
  
"Wait a moment." Draco's voice came out from beyond the door. Seconds later, the door opened.  
  
"What's wrong? Do you know what time it is, Hermione?" He asked, hastily tying up his robe.  
  
"Have you thought about what Professor Mcgonagall was about to say? I mean, during the meeting just now?" She asked, stepping into his room and looking around.  
  
"Of course I've thought about it. I've been thinking about it all night. And I think I know what you're getting at. The Dark Lord's back. And Jake Watson is here to sort of protect us. Ain't I right?" He cocked his eyebrow. Hermione nodded.  
  
"You know what we should do, Draco? I think. I think we should go to Professor Mcgonagall and Professor Dumbledore to ask. We're their Head Students, so they should have trust in us. Besides, we need to know." Hermione said. Draco agreed.  
  
"But first, Hermione, don't you think we both should get some sleep? It's 3 in the morning, and classes begin at 7.30." Draco walked Hermione to the door and watched until she arrived at her own room. He waved and went to sleep.  
  
~ Hermione's Point Of View. ~  
  
"Good morning, guys." She greeted her best friends and their girls during Breakfast the next morning. They grinned up at her. She sat down at the table and nibbled on her bacon and eggs. Suddenly she caught sight of Professor Mcgonagall. She hurriedly waved to her buddies and hurried to the staff table. By the Slytherin table, Draco was doing the same. They met halfway and smiled briefly. Then they went up to the Professor.  
  
"Professor, we really need to talk." Draco said to the professor. "And it'll be better if you bring Professor Dumbledore along." He added.  
  
"What's wrong? Did something happen? " Professor Mcgonagall asked alertly. Next to her, the Headmaster turned. He raised his eyebrows.  
  
"We'll go to my office straight-away, if this is really urgent." The headmaster abruptly pushed back his chair and walked out of the Hall. Professor Mcgonagall and the two students followed him.  
  
"Okay, what's going on? Is everything all right?" The headmaster asked when they arrived at his office. He received no answer. He waited for all of them to settle down into their seats and repeated his questions.  
  
"Everything is fine, Professor Dumbledore. It's just.why is Jake Watson here? Professor Mcgonagall let it slip that he is here for another reason besides teaching us. What is it?" Hermione leaned forward in her seat, her eyes wide.  
  
"I think as your head students, we have the right to know what's going on." Draco continued for his partner. Hermione nodded, her eyes wide.  
  
"Oh, well. I suppose we should tell them what's happening. Albus, why don't you begin." Professor Mcgonagall sat back in the couch she was sitting on, sighing.  
  
"Very well, Minerva. Jake Watson is an extremely good Auror, but he's not well known because he's young and most people think that he's inexperienced. But in fact, he's faced death-eaters and sent them to Azkaban, under another name, John Welling. At that time he had on a hooded robe, so that no one would recognize him as Andrew Watson's only son. They look very much alike." Professor Dumbledore paused, shooting the other professor a glance. She took his cue.  
  
"That's right. He's practically a younger version of Andrew. Anyway, when we heard about the Dark Lord being back, we were very much alarmed. We had the duty to protect all of you here in Hogwarts from him. We asked the Ministry for help, and Andrew Watson suggested we take his son in as a teacher. No one would suspect anything. As an Auror, Jake Watson could teach Defence against the Dark Arts splendidly. He adopted an American accent so his students would assume he's from America." The professor finished with a slight shrug.  
  
"Even if Minerva hadn't let it slip, I would have still told you, sooner or later. I'm happy that both of you know the truth now. I trust you with the secret. And please look out for any unusual happenings in Hogwarts. If there's any, report to either Minerva or me immediately. The other teachers do not know about Jake's undercover. I think both of you better hurry to your History of Magic class. You wouldn't want Professor Binns to get mad. Give him these notes from me. It'll get you out of trouble. And Hermione, please ask Ginny Weasley and Harry to come down. Thank you." The headmaster ordered. Hermione nodded and stood up.  
  
"Thank you, both of you, for confiding in us. We'll try our best to make sure Hogwarts is safe at all times." Hermione said.  
  
"Yes, thanks. We better be going. See you later." Draco and Hermione left the office in silence, clutching the notes their headmaster gave them. When they arrived in the class, the two Head Students gave their notes to the mumbling teacher at the front. Draco walked to his seat at the back.  
  
"Harry, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you & Ginny right now in his office." She said to Harry in a low voice. "Ginny is having Transfiguration right now. Pick her up from her class. Don't look so WORRIED Harry, I can assure you it's nothing horrible." Harry stood up, pale. Ron's eyes followed Harry to the door then they turned on Hermione.  
  
"What's going on? Why did you and Malfoy had to go see Professor Dumbledore and Mcgonagall? Why are Harry and my SISTER needed there now? Were they caught snogging or what?" Hermione giggled softly at Ron's silliness and shrugged. She turned to the front and tried to comprehend what Professor Binns was saying.  
  
[Author's note: I liked this chapter, it's pretty long, and not as boring as before.Review. Thanks. -pEaCe-.] 


	7. He'S bAcK

[Disclaimer: I DON'T own any of the characters except Jake Watson.]  
  
"Hermione! Hermione! Wake up!" Hermione heard a faint voice calling out to her. She tried to open her eyes, but fell back into sleep. "Hermione!" There it was again, that voice. Suddenly, she felt herself start to shake. With iron will, she forced open her eyes. Draco's handsome face emerged in front of her.  
  
"What?!" She cried, rubbing her eyes sleepily.  
  
"Finally." Draco sighed, a slight grin lighting up his face. But a second later it disappeared.  
  
"Hermione, sorry for waking you up like this in the middle of the night. Dumbledore is downstairs. He says he has something extremely important to tell us. Hurry up." Draco explained, walking to the door. Hermione threw off her bed covers and hurried to the bathroom. She splashed some water onto her face and brushed back her hair. Throwing on a robe, she hurried down the stairs.  
  
"Professor! What's wrong?" She asked, seating herself next to Draco on the Slytherin couch. The headmaster was sitting opposite of them on the Gryffindor one.  
  
"Something terrible has happened. Someone, or something, has broken into Hogwarts about an hour ago." The elderly professor said gravely. The two head students gasped.  
  
"At first we- me, Professor Mcgonagall, Professor Jake and Professor Snape- thought it might just be an animal of some kind, but. 10 minutes ago we found a large piece of skin. It wasn't any kind of skin. It was skin that was shed by a.Basilisk. All the professors thought I should inform both of you immediately." Professor Dumbledore continued.  
  
"Where's Ginny? Is she okay?" Hermione cried out, paling.  
  
"She's fine, thank god. But, we have to make sure everything goes on as normal. We cannot alarm any of the students. Ginny will be taken under strict observation at once. She'll be excused from all the classes. We'll give the reason of her absence as chicken pox." He replied.  
  
"Have you told her brother?" Draco asked softly. The professor shook his head.  
  
"I think you two should be the one to tell him. Harry already knows what's happening. He has been using Occlumency this past few days to block anything from Voldermort. And Snape has been teaching Ginny. We had no choice but to tell Snape about this. We trust him, but it's better if lesser people knew." Professor Dumbledore stood up.  
  
"Draco, call Ron & Harry to my office. Hermione, go get Ginny. Walk at all lighted places. No dark corners. One more thing, get changed into some comfortable clothing. We're in for a long night. And it's only one in the morning." The professor issued a wry smile and walked out of the dorm. The two hurried to their respective rooms.  
  
Hermione changed into a long-sleeved black tee shirt with "Princess" written on it in pink on the front. She slipped into a pair of white board shorts and running shoes. Then she flew down the stairs. Draco was already there, waiting. He has no gel in his hair and it looked soft and warm.  
  
Hermione led Draco down the familiar path that brought them to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Let's hope they haven't changed the password since school reopened. Lemon fiddlesticks." Hermione said. The fat lady in the portrait eyed Draco, raising her eyebrows appreciatively. It swung open. Hermione shook her head, amused but understanding.  
  
"You go up to the boys' dorm and get Harry and Ron quietly. We don't want anyone else being waken up. I'll get Ginny." She instructed, tiptoeing up the stairs leading to the girls' dorm. She eased it open and walked stealthily to Ginny's bed.  
  
"Ginny. Ginny, wake up." She whispered in Ginny's ear. Ginny stirred but still remained sleeping. "Ginny." She said a little more loudly. This time, Ginny sat up.  
  
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Ginny said blearily. Hermione put a finger on her lips and pulled Ginny out of the bed. She passed Ginny a robe that was hanging from the edge of the bed and a comb. Ginny slipped on the robe and brushed her hair quickly. Then, they walked out of the dorm and to the common room where she saw Harry and Ron sitting with Draco. Amazingly, they were not arguing.  
  
"Let's go guys." Hermione walked briskly out with the others trailing behind her.  
  
"There she goes again.Taking charge.LEADER." Draco muttered.  
  
"What was that, Draco? I didn't hear you." Hermione spun around, one eyebrow cocked. Draco shook his head. Hermione shrugged.  
  
"Hello, Professors. We're here." Hermione greeted the 4 professors seated in the headmaster's spacious office. All of them just nodded, except for Professor Jake.  
  
"Hello, all of you." He cheerily beamed. Professor Dumbledore took one look at Harry, Ron and Ginny and shook his head. He flicked his wand in their direction. They suddenly were wearing comfortable clothes. Ginny was looking at her clothes admiringly and nodding.  
"Yes, my fashion sense is pretty good isn't it, Ms. Weasley?" He grinned. Ginny blushed. Harry, Ron, Draco and Professor Jake rolled their eyes. Hermione giggled.  
  
"Eh-hem." Professor Snape cleared his throat pointedly.  
  
"Oh, right. I'm sure all of you know what's going on, with the exception of you, Ron. Hermione and Draco will explain later. Ginny, you'll be staying in my office all day, with either of us watching you. When you're with Professor Snape, he'll be coaching you on your Occlumency. Harry, Ron, Draco, survey the school grounds with Professor Jake. Make sure you check every single corner. Hermione, go to the library with Professor Mcgonagall. Find out everything you can about Basilisks." Professor Dumbledore commanded. Ron looked around him, confused.  
  
"We really appreciate all of you, coming to help. Please take care of yourself. Okay, everyone, get to work." Professor Mcgonagall ordered.  
  
[Author's note: How did you like this chapter? Was it boring? Or wad? I really need to know, so reviews please. And ideas that you think might do well for my fan fic. Thanks.] 


	8. SlytHeRiN HeiR

[Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here, except for Jake Watson.]  
  
"Professor, I found something!" Hermione said excitedly, and a little too loudly. The sleepy librarian shot her a glare and rubbed her eyes. Professor Mcgonagall glanced up.  
  
"What is it?" She asked back, acknowledging the glare Hermione received. Hermione pointed to a page in the thick book she was flipping through.  
  
"Look at this. It says here that Basilisks only shed its entire skin when they have eaten something big and is extremely full. And that it feeds on flesh and blood." Hermione shuddered involuntarily. The professor paled.  
  
"Oh my goodness. Try to find out as much info as possible. And record it. Here, use this. It's a pen that has been magicked. Just recite whatever you want to be written down on the parchment and the pen will write it for you." The professor thrust an ink pen into Hermione's hand. Hermione immediately got to work. She mumbled softly and the pen flew across the paper, writing furiously.  
  
"Oh my goodness gracious. This book says there are 4 different types of Basilisks. One type can kill just by staring into it's opponent's eye and not anyone can kill it, and not with any weapon. The skin of this type is black and a very sickly yellow. The same two colours that was on the skin we found." The professor shook her head in disbelief and continued.  
  
"The only person who can kill it is a true Slytherin heir. That means that person has to betray himself, for another person's life. If that person is selfish, the other person will be killed. And the snake can only be killed with the Slytherin sword." Hermione sat back in silent horror.  
  
"That means it's very extremely hard to kill this Basilisk, because to find an unselfish Slytherin." Hermione's voice trailed off. The professor nodded her head gravely.  
  
"Lets' go up to Albus's -Professor Dumbledore's- office to tell him the, the news. Right." The professor stood up and waved a thank you to the sleepy librarian. Hermione hurriedly packed up the pieces of parchment she used and snatched up the magicked pen. Then she rushed after Professor Mcgonagall.  
  
They arrived at the office quickly. They met with Professor Snape outside.  
  
"She's gone!" He cried out in a muffled voice. Hermione strained her ears, unable to believe what her Potions professor just said. Professor Mcgonagall's face turned crimson red.  
  
"What?! What do you mean? Did you just say Ginny is missing?!" She looked as if she could punch Snape in his face. Snape meekly nodded.  
  
"After all of you left, Professor Dumbledore left to check out the other students, make sure they're fine. I started giving Ginny the basics about Occlumency but I needed to go to the bathroom. So I told her to wait in Dumbledore's office while I rushed to the toilet. When I came back she was gone." Snape's voice quivered as he explained. Hermione gasped.  
  
"What's going on?" Professor Jake said from the back. He walked towards Hermione and the other two professors. Harry, Ron and Draco followed him. They stared at Snape.  
  
"Why the heck does HE look so worried?" Draco asked. Hermione was about to answer when Harry interrupted her.  
  
"Wait a minute. Where's Ginny?" Harry cried out, alarm showing on his face. Snape's head lowered even more.  
  
"Snape, where is she?" Ron and Harry yelled in unison.  
  
"She's gone! And it's not my fault that bloody girl wanted to leave the damned office!" Snape snapped. Ron stepped forward and was held back by Professor Jake and Draco, but Harry just recoiled in horror.  
  
"You, you, you- " Ron shouted at Snape. "How could you let her disappear?" Ron glared at Snape and refrained from showing his finger.  
  
"Okay, calm down, Mr. Weasley. This is not the way this situation is to be handled. We'll find Professor Dumbledore at once and explain the situation to him." Professor Mcgonagall said firmly.  
  
"That would be unnecessary. I'm already here, and I already know what happened. Follow me." The headmaster turned around and briskly walked off to one of the darkest corridors. The whole group hurried after him. Hermione caught sight of it first. She had to swallow a scream and gripped Draco's hand. Draco squeezed her hand. Stretched out on the floor was Filch. Next to him were smashed glass pieces and a little bit of water. His eyes were wide open, and his face deathly pale.  
  
Harry had a feeling of déjà vu, and glanced up swiftly. Written on the walls was 'I've got her. Come get me.' The others were still getting over the shock of seeing the Petrified Filch, when they realized Harry was staring up on the wall.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid the Chamber of Secrets is once again, opened. He's back again, stronger than ever. We cannot be impulsive and act stupidly. We have to think ahead, about what Voldermort must do." Professor Dumblefore stated.  
  
"But Ginny's in there, with him! Who knows what might happen to her!" Harry cried, his face crumpled in worry.  
  
"But Ginny was only in first year back then. Now she's in fifth year. She can protect herself. But she can only hold him back for a few minutes, the most 20 minutes. Voldermort's really powerful. We'll send Mdm Pomfrey down straight away." Dumbledore responded, taking charge. When Filch was safely in the infirmary, the group hurried to Dumbledore's office.  
  
"I'm going down there." Harry announced firmly, his fists clenched. Snape bit back a comment about Harry wanting to save the day.  
  
"Me too." Draco said, shocking the entire group into silence. Despite what was happening, Hermione couldn't help but feel glad that Draco was going to help Harry. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Working together. Incredible.  
  
"I'm definitely going too." Ron declared, determined to save his sister, the youngest Weasley.  
  
"Albus will have to stay up here. To make sure the rest of the students are okay. Snape, you follow them to the door of the Chamber and stay there, but don't go in with them. If they need help, you can get it in the quickest time possible. Jake, you go down with them. They'll need an adult with them." Professor Mcgonagall said to all of them. She looked at the headmaster askance. He nodded in agreement.  
  
"We can't kill it unless we find a true Slytherin heir who is unselfish enough to save another person's life." Professor Mcgonagall said softly.  
  
"The only Slytherin here is Malfoy." Ron spat out. Hermione shot him a warning glance. So did Harry.  
  
"How are we going to find out if Draco is a real Slytherin heir?" Hermione asked the professors. Professor Jake frowned and Snape shrugged.  
  
"I know how. See if he can pull out the Slytherin sword out of the Sorting Hat. If he can he's a definite Slytherin heir." Harry explained. Dumbledore nodded, confirming Harry's explanation. Draco raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Where's the hat?" He asked. Dumbledore turned to the back, pulled a hat from a shelf and held it upside-down in front of Draco. Hesitantly, the younger boy reached in. All of them held their breath. Draco frowned then his face cleared. With a flourish, he pulled out a gleaming sword. On its handle was a delicate carving of a snake.  
  
"Oh my god, Malfoy, you did it. You're a Slytherin heir." Harry said disbelievingly.  
  
"Will you do it, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked, eyeing the handsome Malfoy clutching the sword in front of him.  
"Yes. I will." Draco replied. With those three simple words, he felt like his shoulders were suddenly lighter.  
  
"Good luck, guys." Hermione said. She locked eyes with Draco and gave him a special smile.  
  
[Authors note: Okay, the action starts in the next chapter. Review please.] 


	9. a MeMoRy

[Disclaimer: I dun own any of the characters here except for Jake Watson. Enjoy!]  
  
"Harry, in case something happens down there, I just want to say that it's been nice knowing you and you're my best friend. Draco, I've hated you since first year, until the time you said you'd save my sister. Professor Jake, you've been nice since I got to know you." Ron said matter-of-factly to his young companions but ignored Snape. Professor Jake shook his head.  
  
"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley. Nothing bad is going to happen. I assure you." He said confidently. Harry nodded. So did Draco. They hurried into the old girls' bathroom. Moaning Myrtle screamed.  
  
"Boys! Boys! Get out of my toilet! Out! Out!" She yelled.  
  
"Shut up please Myrtle. Now, Harry, open the door." Professor Jake instructed. Harry was about to open his mouth when Draco stopped him.  
  
"Wait. I can speak Parseltongue too. But I've never told anyone." He said. Ron shot him a dirty glare. Snape caught it but kept silent.  
  
"Nobody asked. Let my best friend open the door." He snarled. Draco shrugged dismissively. Harry ignored the two of them and started to mumble in some foreign tongue. With a loud creaking sound, the sinks started to open and revealed a long, dark tunnel down.  
  
"Good luck." Snape volunteered and stationed himself.  
  
"Good luck boys. I won't be surprised if I don't see you again. And HARRY, you can share my toilet with me if you want." Moaning Myrtle said so- called seductively.  
  
"My heart only belongs to one person, and I'm going down there to get her." With that he jumped down the tunnel and started to slide down. Professor Jake climbed in after him, followed by Draco.  
  
"Never knew Harry loved Ginny so much." Ron mused and leaped in quickly. When he arrived, he saw the others waiting for him. Having not being there before, Draco and Professor Jake was looking around.  
  
"This place is creepy." Draco said loudly, leaning one hand on the wall of the large underground cave. He immediately withdrew his hand when it came in contact with some slimy gunk. He grimaced. Suddenly in the distance he heard a splashing sound. His grip on the Slytherin sword tightened.  
  
"Careful everyone. Stay behind me." He commanded, tiptoeing in the extremely shallow water at his feet. In the dark, Harry could see Ron rolling his eyes, but Harry was too worried to think about how Draco was being so bossy.  
  
"Splash." There was that sound again. That time everyone stiffened and paused. Fear was written on all their faces. But Harry and Ron thought about their girlfriend and sister sitting there with the snake and most probably, Voldermort. With that they summoned every ounce of courage they had in them and took a tentative step forward. So did the other two young men. Draco took the lead once again, with Harry behind him. Ron was right behind Harry and the professor took up the rear.  
  
"Hmpf." A muffled sound bounced off the empty walls. But this time, the young men didn't stop. It made them go on stronger, determined to find Ginny Weasley and get her back, safe. All of them whipped out their wands.  
  
"Why don't we split up. Mr. Weasley and me. Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy." Professor Jake suggested. All of them agreed. Draco and Harry walked quietly on the right side while the other pair took up the left.  
  
"Hissss." There came an obvious sound of a snake. Harry shuddered and held his wand tighter.  
  
"Help!" Ginny's voice was heard. Harry and Draco quickened their pace. They could see Ron and their professor doing the same.  
  
"HISSSS." There was a louder hiss, most probably telling Ginny to shut up. Draco and Harry reached a turn. They peeked down a corner and had to muffle their gasp.  
  
Ginny Weasley was sitting on one of the rocks, sobbing. In a large pool of water in front of her, there was the biggest snake Harry had ever seen. It was even bigger than the snake Harry had fought before. It was facing the other way. Both of them took a step forward, their wands and sword ready.  
  
"Let's do it." Harry whispered confidently. Ginny caught sight of them but kept her face normal so that the gigantic snake in front of her wouldn't suspect anything.  
  
"Avera Kedavra!" Harry and Draco shouted in unison, their wands pointing in the direction of the snake. The snake spun around and ducked, avoiding the deadly curse.  
  
"Ssso you've come back, HARRY POTTER." The snake hissed in a low, throaty voice. Harry nodded bravely and nudged Draco. Draco slipped away from Harry. The snake didn't seem to notice.  
  
"That's right, you- " Harry replied, stalling for time but he was cut off by a voice that didn't come from the snake.  
  
"Well, well. You're back, I see, Potter." From the darkness of the shadows of the cave, Tom Riddle stepped out, his fingers firmly clasped around Draco's neck. The sword was no where to be seen. Draco's face was paler than usual, and he seemed to have trouble breathing.  
  
"Fetchious." Tom Riddle muttered loudly. Harry's wand flew out of his hand. Ginny cried out in alarm. Harry silently cursed himself.  
  
"What do you want?" Harry spat out, his eyes glaring at the young man who so resembled himself. Draco winced as the grip around his neck tightened.  
  
"Watch your tone, young man. And you know what I want. All I want is for you to be- DEAD. If you let me kill you, Mr. Malfoy here and your precious little lovey-dovey girl will be free. Get it?" The young Voldermort laughed evilly. "Unless you're just a really selfish boy." He added.  
  
"Don't test me, Riddle." Harry yelled his fists clenched. He looked around for the professor and Ron but he couldn't see them anywhere. Suddenly there was a loud squawking sound. That instant Harry knew it was Phoenix. It flew up straight to Tom Riddle and poked him in the air. Tom released Draco and screamed in agony. The large snake hissed loudly and slithered from the large pool of water it was in.  
  
It headed straight for Phoenix but the bird flew higher and higher, as if challenging the snake to catch it.  
  
"Go for the boy! Go for the boy, you ass!" Tom yelled in Parseltongue, still writhing in pain. At the same time, Ron and the professor rushed out from the back. Harry spotted the Slytherin sword and grabbed it. He tossed it to Draco who caught it with ease and sprinted to the snake. Tom Riddle fumbled around for his wand, one hand still covering the bleeding left eye. Just when he was about to get it, Ron kicked the wand aside.  
  
Draco leaped onto the snake's back and sunk the sword into the head just before it reached Harry. The snake twisted and turned in absolute pain and fell splash into the water, dead. Harry's head snapped up to where Tom Riddle was. He wasn't there, but Ron was.  
  
"Look guys. He became, became, sand. Dust." Ron whispered unbelievingly. All of them raced up and stared on the ground.  
  
"He was no more than a memory." Professor Jake announced. All of them nodded and Ginny fell into Harry's arms. They held to each other tightly. 


	10. tHe aFteRmaTh: PaRt OnE

[Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here, except for Jake Watson.]  
  
Later that night, or so to say, morning, they, including Dumbledore & Professor Mcgonagall, were all sitting in the common room of Draco's and Hermione's dorm. Snape had excused himself. They were sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows floating around on the top. Harry and Ginny were cuddled up together.  
  
"Well, I'm glad everyone is okay. The carcass of the snake has mysteriously disappeared. Harry, Draco, you did a very good job down there. You too, Professor Jake and Ron." Dumbledore smiled warmly at them.  
  
"No, I-we- didn't do anything. We were trapped behind a large piece of snakeskin. By the time we managed to cross it, Phoenix had already helped you guys, and I only managed to kick Riddle's wand away." Ron said apologetically.  
  
"No, that's okay, Ron. We still managed to get Ginny back." Harry said, his arms wrapped around the Weasley girl's shoulders protectively.  
  
"I think you all better get going to your rooms. You're all excused from classes tomorrow, but still, I think you better get some sleep. It's 6am." Dumbledore cleared his throat. All of them, including Draco and Hermione, stood up. They exchanged farewells and for some of them, hugs. Then they trooped out. After they all had left, Draco and Hermione sank down onto the Gryffindor couch. They stared at each other for a long time.  
  
"Draco, I just want to say.thanks. You saved Ginny's life. Thank you." Hermione said softly, a blush creeping onto her face.  
  
"Look at her. She's so beautiful." A voice inside Draco's head whispered.  
  
"Hermione-" He started.  
  
"Draco-" At the exact same time, Hermione began. Their eyes met and Draco took Hermione in his arms. He held her tightly, never wanting to let go. On an impulse, he tilted her head upward to face his. He leaned in and brought his lips to hers. They shared the most intimate moment they had ever shared. 10 minutes later, Hermione pulled away from his arms and stood up.  
  
"I've got to go to bed, Draco. Good night." She whispered, her fingers lining his face lovingly. With a last glance, she walked up the Gryffindor stairs to her room.  
  
The next morning when Hermione woke up, she sat up in bed and recalled the events that took place the night before. Her eyes opened wide when she remembered she had kissed Draco.  
  
"Oh my God. I kissed him?" She said, her hands covering her mouth. She couldn't exactly place what she was feeling. It wasn't anger, no, and it wasn't disgust.  
  
"How can I face him?" She asked herself aloud and pushed off the bed. She hurried to the bathroom where she took a long soak in the bathtub. While sitting at her dressing table, drying her hair, she stared at herself in the mirror.  
  
"I don't look like myself anymore. I look like someone else on the outside, but it's still me, inside. But, if it's still me, why did I kiss him?" Her face was masked in confusion. She stood up and flung open the door of her closet. Feeling wild, she took out her pink spaghetti top and her black-sequined jeans. She slipped on a black bomber jacket on and twisted up her hair with a pink scrunchie. Adding a dash of lip-gloss to her lips, she turned to her full-length mirror. She looked good, and she knew it. Flicking her wand in the direction of her bed, the bed magically began to tidy itself up.  
  
She opened the door of her bedroom with ease and began to descend down the stairs. But she saw something unexpected. Draco was sitting on the couch, reading a magazine. She tried hard to tiptoe herself out so he wouldn't approach her, but she was too slow.  
  
"Hermione, where are you going?" He asked, snapping close the magazine. Hermione shrugged helplessly.  
  
"No where in particular." She replied, her eyes avoiding his intense gaze. She stared down at her black ankle boots.  
  
"We're excused from classes today, Hermione. And I hardly think you would go to classes dressed like that, anyway. So, tell me, where are you going?" He repeated and took a step closer. Hermione sniffed the air. Draco had cologne on him, and he smelled.delicious.  
  
"I'm going to Homsmeade. As Head Girl I can go without the permission of a teacher." She said to her companion. Draco shook his head.  
  
"That's PARTLY right, Hermione. It says you CAN go to Homsmeade without permission, but only if you bring the Head Boy along. Right?" Draco grinned victoriously. Hermione felt her heart flutter and frowned. "What's wrong with me today?" She thought.  
  
"Fine, so that means YOU have to drag yourself out of here just to follow me buy clothes? I'm sure you don't want to. No one will ever know if you don't tell." Hermione replied, her eyes meeting Draco's. He winked.  
  
"Clothes? Who says I hate following beautiful girls to buy clothes?" He responded mischievously. Hermione caught the hidden compliment and beamed.  
  
"Fine, since you're so desperate to follow me, I'll just have to bring you along." She shot back, hitting him on his arm. He laughed and disappeared into his room for a while. He came back wearing a white tee and jeans. On the front of his tee was the phrase 'I'm with her.' Hermione smiled inwardly. They grabbed their Heads badges. Draco slipped his into his pocket, but Hermione pinned it on her jacket.  
  
"It goes nicely with my jacket, don't you think?" She said, eyeing it carefully before nodding. They left the dorm together and hurried to catch the carriage that brought them to Homsmeade. 


	11. tHe aFtErMaTh: PaRt TwO

[Disclaimer: I dun own any of the characters here except for Jake Watson. Enjoy!]  
  
"Hey, Hermione, u wanna get a butterbeer first? I'm kinda thirsty." Draco asked Hermione, once they alighted the carriage. Hermione gave him a thumbs-up.  
  
"Okay, sure. Let's go to The Three Broomsticks." She replied, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him into the popular pub. Once they had settled in into their seats, which were located quite far back into the pub, a beautiful waitress fluttered over. Draco gave her the classic Malfoy grin. She replied by sending him a flirtatious smile and tossing back her long, black hair. Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"What would you two like?" The waitress asked, her pen poised on a notepad.  
  
"Two butterbeers, please." Hermione responded and after the waitress had left, said to Draco, "My treat. For you know, helping save Ginny's life." She gave him a warm smile. He leaned over and squeezed her hand in his.  
  
"Ehem. Here are you butterbeers." The waitress came back, eyeing distastefully at the love scene in front of her and shooting Hermione a glare. Hermione shrugged. Draco released her hand and grabbed his butterbeer. So did Hermione. They sat in companionable silence while sipping on their drinks.  
  
Suddenly, Hermione knew what she felt when she remembered she had kissed Draco the night before. She felt, amazed, happy and positively shocked. She smiled. Draco abruptly broke the silence.  
  
"Hermione? We have to talk. You know, about last night." He said softly, his eyes searching Hermione's. Hermione flushed and nodded.  
  
"You first." She looked down at her drink uncomfortably. Draco sensed her discomfort and opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"Hermione, this is a confession. I think, I think I have feelings for you." Draco said quickly, his heart ready for rejection.  
  
"Oh, Draco." Hermione sighed. Draco glanced up, his silver-blue eyes meeting Hermione's brown eyes. Her eyes reflected what was in his own. First fear, then confusion, and lastly, love. Draco got up from where he was sitting and slid in next to Hermione. She buried her head in his muscular chest.  
  
"Hermione. will you be my girlfriend?" Draco asked sincerely, his heart aching for the girl that was in his arms. In response, Hermione lifted her head and planted a deep kiss on Draco's lips.  
  
"I take that as a yes?" He inquired flirtatiously, his arms tightening around Hermione's slender waist.  
  
"You bet, Mr. Malfoy." Hermione shot back, beaming.  
  
"Hermione, what will Harry and Ron say? About us? They hate me." Draco said, holding his girlfriend an arm-length away from him. She took his face in her hands.  
  
"Draco, if they are my true friends, they will accept me not only for who I am, but for who I love, too. Besides, they don't hate you, Draco. At least, not anymore. After you helped save Ginny." Hermione argued, smiling.  
  
"I hope so, for your sake." Draco replied. Then he stood up and offered his arm to Hermione. "Let's start shopping, sweetie. That's what we're here for right?"  
  
The happy couple left hand in hand and began strolling down the streets of Hogsmeade. Hermione spotted a shop named Belle Corner and dragged Draco into it. Once inside, she headed straight to the rack where was most colourful. She grabbed an orange sleeveless tee shirt and held it against herself. She turned to her boyfriend.  
  
"How does this look?" She asked, twirling around. Her long hair swished around her face. Draco was left speechless for a moment, mesmerized by her beauty.  
  
"Great. You look, you look wonderful! I can't believe you're mine." Draco whispered. Hermione gave him a wide smile.  
  
"So, I'm definitely getting this. Let's find a pair of jeans or skirt to go with it." Hermione surveyed the rest of the store with an expert eye. Suddenly she gave a squeal and hurried to a rack. She pulled out a dark blue, almost black, short denim skirt. It had pleats on the front and it came with a silver chain that was used as a belt. Without even trying it on, she added it to her pile. Draco shook his head amusedly.  
  
Over minutes, she added a pair of white jeans, a red peasant top and a black and white turtleneck sweater. She left Hogsmeade loaded with paper bags, even though Draco was helping her.  
  
They arrived back at Hogwarts, laughing happily together. They hurried up to their dorm, where there was a mini-fashion parade, when Hermione modeled all the clothes she bought.  
  
[Author's note: Hey!!! Did you like this chapter? I liked it okay, cuz I liked the part when hermione and Draco confessed their love for each other. And I luv fashion, so I had no other idea than to bring hermione to Hogsmeade for shopping. Hope you enjoyed this chappie. Reviews! See yah. With lotsa luv, Belle. (My real name is aqidah.)] 


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